


Tie me to you

by Signe_chan



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: M/M, sap, wedding fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-09
Updated: 2014-11-09
Packaged: 2018-02-24 18:57:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2592644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Signe_chan/pseuds/Signe_chan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leo wanted to do this one thing. Just this one thing. Just today. That wasn't too much to ask.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tie me to you

Leo looked down at the fabric in his hand. It was deceptive, sneaky. A promise that was really a lie. So simple to look at but not today. Not today. 

Calming piano music was already drifting in from the next room so that meant it was probably nearly time. He didn't have much longer and he had to do this. He HAD to do this. He took a breath, closed his eyes. He imagined Mack was there pressing against him but he’d never been that good at imagining physical sensation and now wasn’t somehow a magical exception to the rule. 

He opened his eyes and lifted the tie again. It should be easy. For years he’d worn one of these every day. He’d practiced with this one. Done it again and again until the movements were easy. On a good day he’d be able to tie it in seconds. 

Today wasn’t turning out to be a good day. 

He slid the material around his neck. It settled against his collar and he lined the two pieces up. Front piece longer, back shorter. Easy. That part was easy because he didn’t have to use his damn hands for anything fine. Then he lifted the long part and he knew this. Around and around again and up the back and down through and he could do it but somehow though they knew the motions his hands were like planks of wood today, bashing against each other and leading to a tangled mess and the end wouldn't go where he wanted it too and with a growl of frustration he ripped the thing off and threw it onto the ground. 

He knew, logically, that he should ask for help. Jemma would be somewhere about waiting for him. He could just open the door and she’d help him. She’d even lost the pity that used to be there when she helped him with things his stupid hands couldn't do on their own any more. It had taken them a while but they were good again. He just didn’t want her. He wanted to do it himself. 

Just this one thing. This one thing was all he wanted. 

He was going to be a mess. He was going to go out there to get married and he was going to stutter the vows and he was probably going to trip and drop the ring or miss the finger or something and he wasn’t even going to be able to tie his own stupid tie. 

This was meant to be a good day. It was his wedding day. It was meant to be a good day. 

He jumped as the door opened, scrambling to reclaim the tie from the floor so whoever it was wouldn't see that he’d just thrown it down like a petulant child. 

It was Mack. He was leaning against the door and smiling like Leo was the best thing he’d ever seen and when faced with that smile Leo couldn't help but smile back because that, that was why he was doing this. That was why he was messing around with ties and vows. To have this man be his, to get to keep that smile forever. 

“Hey,” Mack said, stepping in and closing the door. “Let me help you with that.” 

He reached over and took the tie from Leo’s unresisting grip. Leo knew she should have fought but he was past that now. Mack knew. Mack always knew, had probably known before they even dragged themselves out of bed this morning that this was going to be one of Leo’s bad days and he was going to ruin everything. 

“Hey, chin up,” Mack said, sliding the tie around Leo’s neck. His fingers made quick work of the knot, lining it up and tying it and then smoothing it down with a smile. It was all so easy to him. 

“It’s not fair,” Leo said, and he knew he was being petulant but he couldn't help it. “Other people...other people…” the thing. He knew, the feeling of the word was there in his mind, the sense of it, but he couldn't find the word for it. It stayed just out of his reach as he went for it, tried to grasp it. The things where people…

“Tie knots?” Mack suggested. “Get married? Wear ties?” 

“No,” Leo said, grabbing a handful of his own hair. “This is an important day. I shouldn't...I should…” 

“Get better?” Mack guessed and, yes, that was it. Get better. 

“Yes. That thing. For their wedding. It’s in the papers. People learn to walk again and everything and all I wanted to do was tie my stupid tie!” 

“Hey, it’s not stupid,” Mack said, reaching out to take his hand to stop Leo pulling his hair again. “It meant something to you. I’m sorry.” 

“Not your fault,” Leo mumbled. Since he couldn't pull his hair he swayed forward and put his head on Mack’s shoulder instead. Mack reached up to run a big hand up and down Leo’s back. Soothing. Calming. On bad days if they could get away with it sometimes he’d just curl up in Mack’s arms and not move. It was okay with Mack. Mack didn’t expect anything of him. 

Everyone expected something of him today and he’d already let himself down. 

“Hey,” Mack said and Leo could feel the rumble of it under his cheek. “You know, I wish this had been one of your good days, I really do, but only because you want it that way. It doesn’t matter to me. I love you any way. This isn’t something that’s going to get better, we know that. There are always going to be bad days and I’m always going to love you on them.” 

“I’ll mess up the...the…” 

“Vows?” Mack filled in. “Doesn’t matter if you do. The words aren’t important. It’s the meaning.” 

“People’ll look.” 

“You care what anyone else thinks?” Mack asked, resting his hand on the back of Leo’s neck. It was big and heavy and reassuring. “Nobody else here’s marrying you. I mean, sure, I care about what they think too in theory. They’re friend, but the only person I really care about is you.” 

“Don’t want to embarrass you.” 

“You couldn't even do that,” Mack said in his most reasonable tone like Leo was being ridiculous here. “I love you. I’d never be ashamed to be with you. You’re amazing.” 

“Used to be.” 

“Still are. Amazing. And you’re going to marry me.” 

“I'll Mess it up.” 

“Look,” Mack said, leaning to press a kiss on the top of his head. “Do you want me to go out there and call it of? Postpone it? Everyone will understand if you’re having a bad day. I’ll understand. We can try this again in a few weeks. A month. It doesn’t matter. Hell, I won’t care if you want to skip the entire thing and just carry on like we have. You’re the one who proposed.” 

“I want to marry you,” Leo said. And he did. Every part of his being wanted to marry Mack. Wanted them to be tied together. It was a stupid thing, he knew it wouldn't really make them any more connected but it felt like more. It felt like they’d be closer and he wanted to be so close to Mack. He wanted to bury himself in Mack and hide from the world. 

“I want to marry you too,” Mack reassured him. “For better or worse. So, you coming out with me or we doing this later?” 

Leo stood up, forced himself to pull away from the comfort of Mack’s chest to look at his face. He was sincere. Of course, he was always sincere. Leo just had to say the word and they’d do this later. Whenever he wanted. Never, if he wanted. Whatever. 

He wanted to get married. He didn’t want to wait any more. 

“Will you help with the…the…” 

“Words? Vows?” 

“Both. They’re both the same thing.” 

“Of course,” Mack said, kissing his forehead now. “Of course I’ll help you. You ready to come out?” 

“Yeah,” Leo said, reaching down to grip Mack’s free hand. Mack smiled at him, raised their hands to press a kiss to the back of Leo’s hand, then turned to lead him out. It was going to be alright. Well, no, it wasn’t. It was all going to be terrible but Mack was going to hold his hand and help him and after there’d be cake and that would be better and maybe today wouldn't be such a bad day after all. 

For better or for worse, after all.


End file.
